distress

Study(25)

/dɪˈstɹɛs/

noun 5verb 3

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

acute, considerable, deep, extreme, great, immense, severe | genuine, real | obvious | unnecessary

emotional, mental, personal, physical, psychological

After the accident, she experienced both physical distress from her injuries and emotional distress from the trauma.

economic, financial, social

Many families experienced financial distress when they lost their jobs during the pandemic.

VERB + DISTRESS

cause (sb)

feel, suffer

The refugees felt deep distress after losing their homes in the conflict.

show (signs of)

The injured dog showed clear signs of distress when the veterinarian approached.

conceal

She could not conceal her distress when she heard the news about the accident.

avoid | alleviate, ease, relieve

DISTRESS + NOUN

call, signal

The lighthouse keeper spotted a distress signal from the boat in trouble.

PREP

in ~

The rescue team quickly responded to the airplane in distress over the ocean.

to sb's ~

The sudden announcement of the factory closure caused great distress to the workers in the town.

~ at

The parents showed their distress at the long delay in receiving test results from the hospital.

~ over

Many parents feel deep distress over their children's poor grades at school.

PHRASES

a damsel in distress

She felt like a damsel in distress when her car broke down on the highway.

a source of distress

The long delay in receiving test results became a significant source of distress for the worried patients.

Definitions

noun

Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.

To heighten his distress, he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child, the innocent offspring of her amours, fainting at the sight of his misfortunes, being unable to relieve him farther), and plunging her into those difficulties she never shall be able to surmount.

At any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight.

A cause of such discomfort.

Serious danger.

I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.

At length they perceived a little cottage; two persons in the decline of life dwelt in this desert, who were always ready to give every assistance in their power to their fellow-creatures in distress.

An aversive state of stress to which a person cannot fully adapt.

A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.

verb

To cause strain or anxiety to someone.

She respects me, no doubt, but has no longer any passionate feeling for me, and my death will distress her without plunging her in despair.

To retain someone’s property against the payment of a debt; to distrain.

This power of distress, as anciently used, became as oppressive as the feudal forfeiture. It was as hard for the tenant to be stripped in an instant of all his goods, for arrears of rent, as to be turned out of the possession of his farm.

To treat a new object to give it an appearance of age.

a pair of distressed jeans

She distressed the new media cabinet so that it fit with the other furniture in the room.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — the seizure and holding of property as security for payment

distraint

noun — psychological suffering

verb — bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial ha

straiten

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

abuse of distress

a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer

Example Bank

To heighten his distress, he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child,

Wiktionary

I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress, and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.

Wiktionary

She respects me, no doubt, but has no longer any passionate feeling for me, and my death will distress her without plunging her in despair.

Wiktionary

a pair of distressed jeans

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

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